Blood's Only Love
by crazypandagirl
Summary: We all know that Blood has a thing against Outsiders, but what if there was a reason beyond simple hate for them, but for himself, and a mistake he made with one particular outsider? This is how he finally frees her from the prison, where he locked all the good in her that he loved away, and how hate can change even the best of us. Mentions of bullying and abductions obvious, Joker
1. Chapter 1

Becca POV

" _Mama, look! That guy has bunny ears!" I point out a boy who looks like he's at least thirteen, wearing a red and black checkered suit, a pocket watch and chain in one of his coat pockets._

 _She grabs me and turns us around. "Becca, promise me you will never go anywhere with anyone who looks out of place here like that, right now."_

 _I frown, but nod. "Why? Do you know them?"_

" _I'll tell you when you're older. But if anything happens and you are close to them, get as far away as you can, no matter what it takes."_

"Mama, why didn't you tell me then?" I whisper, hiding in the Forest of Doors, silent compared to what it was at first.

"Little girl~? Are you lost~?" a faceless woman from the Hatter Mafia finds me, crouching in front of me.

I nod, a tear falling out of my eye. "I don't understand what's happening."

She stands, offering me a hand. "Maybe Boss could explain, since you're an Outsider~. Besides, he's only a little older than you~."

I take the hand, standing up slowly. "Thank you."

She leads me to the Mansion, guarded by twin boys, who are younger than me, in red and blue uniforms with giant halberds resting on their shoulders. "Password?" the one in red asks.

"Tea time, uninterrupted." She answers, just as the sky turns from midafternoon to night.

The blue one opens the gate, and suddenly stops. I look around from behind the lady to find a boy in a fancy black top hat, black pants, and a white tail coat coming our way, an interesting cane in his hand. "Boss." They all greet him, standing at attention.

"And who do you have here?" 'Boss' asks the lady I'm trying to hide behind.

She looks back at me, pulling me out to the side into clear view of our companions. "The Outsider, I found her in the Forest, and she was upset and lost~."

I glance at his face, finding his black hair kind of hides under his hat and in the darkness, slightly growing over his eyes, a stony green color. "Um, I don't mean to cause any trouble, if you're worried about that."

He finally lightens up. "Welcome to Hatter Mansion, Outsider. I'm not worried in the slightest about any trouble you could cause, you just don't seem the type." He gestures to himself. "I'm Blood Dupre, Boss of the Hatter Family Mafia, and these two gate keepers are Dee and Dum." He then offers me his arm. "Would you join me for a midnight tea party?"

I hesitantly take his arm, giving a quivering smile. "I guess, if I'm not going to be a bother." I wipe my free hand over my skirt, wiping away the sweat and dirt.

He turns us back the way he came, going to a garden decorated with rose bushes and lanterns, with a long table in the middle of the grassy area. "If anything, it gives me a chance to understand how an outsider got here and how you think."

He pulls out a chair for me, and then takes his own seat next to me. Seeing his empty tea cup, I pour him some first, then pour myself a small amount. "Well, what do you want to know?"

"First off, something to call you other than Outsider."

I smile slightly, and touch the silver and diamond pendant at my throat, carved into a 'B.' "Becca, I don't like being called Outsider. It makes me think I'm being judged."

"Becca, a pretty name." He takes a sip of his tea, then looks down at the table. "Tell me, how did you come to the Country of Clover?"

"I was kidnapped by some faceless guy in my world, he was wearing a black suit, and threatened to kill my mom if she tried to come for me." I take a sip of the tea, finding it bitter. "He made me drink some weird potion, and it made me pass out, and I woke up in this world several time periods ago."

He looks at me, surprise in his eyes. "Where have you been staying?"

"I was staying in the woods, and just wandering around, trying to find the tower I saw, and the same faceless guy came after me again, with some of his friends. They grabbed me and stashed me in a cellar, and tied my hands behind me, but I got the rope off and escaped. I only assume it's been several time periods because I slept for a while." I scrunch my nose. "And that guy that talked to me in my dream, Nightmare."

He shakes his hand. "No doubt he will be looking for you, Becca. Did he read your mind, by any chance?"

"He was really frustrated, because he said he couldn't get into my head. I had to tell him my name." I fiddle with a scone. "Is that normal for an outsider?"

He stretches, standing up. "No, but I believe I ought to ask him when I'm out later. For now, I'll have the maids find you some clothes, set up a room for you, and send you to bed." I frown at him, making him smile a bit. "I'm a busy person, and I have somewhere to be tonight."

"Okay, Blood. Thank you." He nods, vanishing into the mansion as I finish my tea and scone.

Soon, a maid comes out to fetch me. "Miss Becca, we have a room ready for you~." I get up, pushing my chair in, before following her into the mansion. She guides me to a room, decorated minimally with a few simple pieces of furniture, a painting of a sunset, and a canopy over the bed. "It's simple, and what we could do on such short notice~. I hope it's alright~?"

I smile and walk to the bed. "It's perfect, thank you."

She smiles warmly at me. "Well, good night then~."

I change out of my slightly dirty brown dress into a clean, light green nightgown, and pull my hair out of its ponytail, letting the mass of coppery brown hair fall down my back. I go to the vanity, and open the draw to find a small brush, which I immediately start putting to use, taming the knotted mess. Once it's nice and straight, with only the slight waves, I crawl into the plush bed, the sheets warm from a recent washing, I'm sure.

No POV

Over the course of a few years, they would become the best of friends, Blood leaving her in the dark of what the mafia did, protecting her from the dangers of the rival organizations, and eventually brought Elliot back from the prison. When she was thirteen years old in this world, she wandered out one day, and never came back. They would later learn that, under the threat of death by her original captors, she grew beautiful white wings, and flew away from Wonderland, finding her way home alone, and returning to her original age of ten. When she turned thirteen in her world, the time came when she could return, but when she did, it was to learn she had been given the role of the Wild Card, and grew to be hated by Blood, whom she had regretted never being able to say goodbye to.

Every time she would try explaining what happened, he would refuse to hear it, choosing to try killing her instead. Over time, his hatred turned her pure white wings into a mix of black and white feathers, more appearing every several time periods. No matter what any of the role holders tried, the black would not vanish. And when April Season came around, the white feathers vanished, and a part of her, the good with all of the white feathers, became locked away in the prison, and her body in the outside world fell to the circus, her wings now pure black feathers. In the prison, the good in her mind wasted away, and she allowed the Joker to bury her memories of the good times in the deepest parts of her imprisoned self.

In the circus, she became a feared guard, and a favorite of the Joker. When the role holders approached her, she held no memories of them, and when Blood finally forgave her, it was too late, for he had already locked her away, and could not fight his own Joker to free her. The hatred he had directed at her was now given to him, and when the Season ended, she went with it. When the April Season came to Wonderland next, she returned the same way she had left, only she had grown into her role with the circus, and nothing could be done to draw her back to who she had been years before.

In her home world, she would be depressed, lose her friends, and never go out if she didn't have to. The day she turned eighteen would be the third circus she would be in, and she wasted away a bit more every time, for her soul would go to the prison, while her body went to the performances. When she left with April Season, the memories of both would haunt her in her home world.


	2. Chapter 2

Alice POV

I walk around the circus ground, holding hands with Boris, looking around for the Hatter party, when something black blurs past me, flying into the performance tent.

"What was that Boris?!" I gasp, startled by the apparition.

"Becca, the Wild Card. She was once an outsider like you, but she fell into the circus, and it's changed her." He shakes his head, almost sadly. "She was an amazing person, and didn't have a shred of hatred in her, and now… she's almost pure hate."

I blink, confused. "How did that happen to her?"

"You'd have to ask either her or the Mad Hatter. They were once best friends, and they were almost always together. Whatever happened between them when she returned, it destroyed her." He looks into my eyes, and squeezes my hand. "Just be grateful that you weren't dealt the role she was."

"I am, that's for sure." I glance behind us, and find the Hatter Family just arriving.

"Ah, young lady, I am pleased to see you are here. Let us go to see the performance." We join with the group, going to talk with the Bloody Twins as we make our way to the tent.

I continuously look at Blood, wondering what could have happened to destroy a friendship with him short of betrayal.

Becca POV

"Joker." I call as I fly into the tent, landing just behind him.

He turns around, taking in my appearance. My outfit consists of black leggings, a black shirt with the sleeves cut off and stopping at my waist, an elegant black mask edged with diamonds over my face, and my black hair tied back with a red ribbon tied in a bow, matching my red trimmed black knee high leather boots. He hands me a pair of black fingerless gloves, which I put on immediately.

"Becca, are the role holders here?" he asks me, to which I nod. "Very well, I will make the announcement for the show to begin in five minutes. Take up your place at the entrance."

I nod, and walk to the opening in the tent wall, hearing the voices of excited faceless and bored droning of the role holders. As promised, Joker makes the announcement, and people begin flooding into the tent, the Hatters being among the last to enter. I find Boris, Elliot, Dee, Dum, and an Outsider accompanying Blood and his servants.

"Becca?" he whispers, but I pretend not to hear as I close the flaps. "Becca, answer me." As I make to walk away, he grabs my arm. "I know you're in there."

I glare up at him, not fighting back. "I don't know you, _Hatter_ , how many times do I have to tell you?" I rip my arm out of his grip, and take a running leap away from him, flying over the crowd as they cheer at my signal for the show to begin.

"Welcome all, to the Circus! Please enjoy the show!" with that, the acts begin as I hover over it all, feeling Blood's eyes all over me.

After the show

I fly out of the tent, desperate for fresh air and freedom from the gaze of the Hatter. The world is teeming with life in the forest, and I revel in it, feeling at ease for the first time in a long while. I land in a tree, on a branch looking out over the road, and lean back against the trunk, shutting my eyes and relaxing.

When a chill descends over me, I open my eyes, finding the time period has changed to night once more. When I move, a hand grabs my ankle, yanking me down into the dirt. An arm wraps around my waist, pinning my arms and wings, and the first hand comes over my mouth, silencing me, though I kick and try to bite my assailant.

"Becca!" Blood's voice shouts at me, encouraging me to fight back even more. "Becca, just listen to me! Stop fighting me!" I then bite his hand through his gloves, drawing blood, and he pulls the hand away from my face with a hiss of pain.

"Let me go you ass!" I shout at him.

"NO!" he shouts in my ear, causing me to stop fighting and cringe. "I let you go once, I'm not making that mistake again. Just listen to what I have to say."

"I don't want to listen… I just want to go home." I blink, and my vision clouds up against my will, and something feels familiar about these arms.

He sighs, and rests his cheek on top of my head. "I never thought of what happened to force you out of Wonderland, and I never gave you the chance to tell me. I was blinded by rage and betrayal that I never considered how you were affected by my fits." His other arm wraps around my shoulders, just under my chin. "I'm the reason you are in the Circus, and I realized my mistake too late. Just tell me what I have to do to get you out."

Tears fall from my eyes, and I gasp, grabbing his arm, before I break down. "Why would you help me now? After all this time?" I try to keep my voice steady, but it shakes even more with the sobs beginning to shake my whole body.

"Because even I need to fix my mistakes." He turns me around, pressing my face into his chest. He holds me gently, yet firmly as I cry my heart out. "Just tell me how to save you, Becca."

I hold onto him tightly, afraid to let go, as I calm down. When the tears finally stop, I just linger in his hold, exhausted. "I don't know what to do anymore." I whisper, leaning more into him.

 _I open my eyes to find Nightmare waiting to speak with me, a gentle look in his eyes. "What?" I ask him, not needing his pity._

" _I saw that, in the woods. You're letting him in, and it's the only thing that will get you out of Joker's hold." He floats over to me, smirking. "And he has been trying to pull you out of this for a long time now, driving me insane looking for clues he knows I don't gather easily."_

 _I turn away from him, crossing my arms and huffing. "I don't care what he does, but I do care about just getting out of this world."_

 _He flies back in front of me, pouting. "But you used to love it here."_

 _I glare at him. "That is ridiculous, all I know here is the circus, and no appreciation to any of you, no matter what you role holders say and think."_

" _You forget that you're a role holder as well." He snarls back._

" _Maybe I prefer forgetting it! Maybe I would rather not being forced here every April Season, and being locked away in my own mind when I never wanted to be here!" I turn away from him. "I'm so done with this conversation, you Caterpillar." I close my eyes, and will myself awake once more._

Sunlight falls directly into my eyes, making me groan and bury my face into the soft pillow, snuggling deeper into the warm blankets. Wait a minute…

I open my eyes and stare at the room, recognizing it as a room in Hatter Mansion. The most notable feature is the sunset painting across from the bed, between the windows filtering in sunlight through the sheer curtains. I climb out of the bed, finding my boots at the foot of the bed, polished and dirt free as usual, and my outfit from the circus still on.

I rapidly tie the laces, and am about to open a window to fly out when the door opens, revealing Blood and Joker, who looks smug to Blood's annoyed. "Ah, Becca, ready to leave?" Joker asks, getting a glare from the mafia boss.

"Yes, I was about to leave this way."

Blood shakes his head. "You're using the door, and going with Joker." Somehow, he seems really angered by the fact that I'm leaving.

I shrug, and follow the men out, walking through the Halloween themed Mansion in silence. When we reach the main door, Blood grabs my arm like at the circus, but much more gently. "I will see you again soon." He whispers. I nod, and follow Joker out into the mild autumn afternoon.

As we follow the path, I lose track of Joker as the forest turns into the jail. "Becca, what were you doing there?" the other Joker growls from behind me.

I turn to face him, keeping my face carefully blank. "I didn't know he would take me back to his territory after I passed out. Nothing happened, but he wants to take me out of here, and will stop at nothing to do so."

He smirks evilly at me, trying to get a reaction. "Well, it's about damn time he does something to clean up his mess." His eyes flick over to a cell behind me, and I follow his gaze to find a version of me, except malnourished and on the brink of death, blood flowing from her wounds and falling from her eyes the way tears should as she stares at me through the bars from her spot on the ground. Her wings, which might have been pure white, are gray with filth and brown with dried blood. Even her hair, with all the filth and blood matted on her head, remains a mystery color.

"I have no intention of letting him get away with this without a struggle girl. You had best keep that in mind." He whispers in my ear from behind.

"I'm not making things any easier for him on my end as it is." With that, I walk away from the cell and Joker, returning to the forest, finding Alice and Boris playing cards with Joker.

The cat looks spooked when he sees me, but I pay it no mind as I go to stand behind Joker, looking at his cards and trying to hide my laughter. "Girl, shut it!" the other Joker yells from the mini mask.

I roll my eyes and obey. "You would be laughing too if you saw this hand." With that, I walk away, set on finding something else to wear, since I don't have to do anything fancy until the next performance. "Joker, just admit defeat and let them go where they want to go, before they shatter your pride any more than they already have." I duck the card he pegs at me, catching it with two fingers, finding a crude message written in red ink.


	3. Chapter 3

Near the end of April Season

Alice POV

I go to the town in front of the Tower of Clover, admiring all of the winter decorations and tightening my scarf around my neck before shoving my cold hands into my jacket pockets, shivering slightly.

"Alice, right?" a voice asks from behind me. I turn around to find Becca in a dress with a cut up to her knees, showing black and white checkered leggings, wearing a matching jacket and scarf. I nod slowly, wary of her. "It's good to finally meet you, after hearing so much about you from Joker and Nightmare." She offers me her hand. "I've seen you around the circus a lot, and have most likely heard about me by now, but I'm Becca, the Wild Card."

I shake her hand tentatively, smiling. "Alice Liddell, an Outsider."

She lets go and shoves her hands into her pockets. "Would you like to join me for a trip to the bookshop?"

"I was on my way there, actually." I respond, gesturing for her to walk alongside me. "So, what kind of stories are you into?"

She falls into step next to me, looking up to the sky in thought. "I do enjoy mystery and tragedy, but I prefer adventure. What about you?"

I smile. "I read just about everything, but my absolute favorite genre is romance."

She shivers. "Those can either be modest enough or way too… descriptive for my taste." I laugh at her, earning a childish pout. "So, you're one of those readers?"

I immediately shake my head, blushing slightly. "I just skip those parts, I'm not into that kind of thing."

We fall silent as we walk into the shop, loosening our scarves as the warm shop air greets us. Becca smiles slightly, but I notice how she moves silently to the secluded adventure section, hiding herself from sight. With a sigh, I wander to the romance area, hoping to find the next book in the series that I've been waiting for.

After a while, the time changes to night, and the bookshop owner lets us know we need to leave within the next few minutes. We both pick up a small stack of books, paying for them as quickly as possible, then heading back outside.

"Alice, I was wondering if you might know anything about my family, back in our world." She looks at the ground, barely speaking above a whisper.

I shake my head. "I honestly have no clue. There is a case where some kid vanishes for days, even weeks, during April, but it's not from where I live." I listen to her dejected sigh, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I can't be of any more help than that."

She looks back up, giving me a small, sad smile as she pulls out of my grip. "It's not your fault, I was just hoping you might know something." She steps ahead of me, and I see her black wings curled tightly up against her back. "I have to get back, before the Jokers get mad at me. I'll see you around, Alice."

With a small wave, she opens her wings and flies away. I wave back to her as I lose sight of her. I turn to go back to the Tower of Clover when somebody steps out of the shadows, chuckling darkly as they realize I've seen them and started backing away. They wave like a child would, and someone else comes up behind me, putting their arms around me and pinning my own to my body. I try to scream, by they shove a piece of cloth into my mouth, and stick me in the neck with some needle, injecting me with some drug that makes me weak, falling back as black spots fill my vision.

Becca POV

" _Nightmare, what happened?" I ask the poor excuse of a man._

" _It's Alice, I can't sense her in the Tower, and she never returned after her outing. Did you see her at all in the prison or around the circus?"_

 _I bite my lip, thinking to the shopping trip. "We met up in the town and went to the bookshop together. When the night period started, we left with our purchases, walked for a bit, then I left, as she was fairly close to the Tower and I had to get back." I then frown at him. "Can't you go into her dreams? She ought to be asleep somewhere by now."_

 _He turns and gestures behind him, where a dazed Alice sits. "This is all I can see of her mind."_

 _I kneel in front of her. "This can't be good, she was fine when I left her." I look up at him. "I'll ask Joker if I may come to stay in the Tower for a while and postpone the next performance."_

" _And if he's behind this?"_

 _I shake my head. "Joker may do some really bad things, but I would know if either of them had done this." I put a hand on Alice's head. "I will make sure she is safe." With that, I will myself awake._

I open my eyes and sigh, sitting up gingerly under my thin blanket. I just sit there for a moment, trying to figure out how I will find Alice, then give up, knowing it will get me nowhere. I lean over the edge of my bed, reaching underneath for my box of clothes. Deciding to go with a general outfit, I pull out a black shirt with long sleeves coming off the shoulder, and a pair of black jeans with holes in the knees and worn spots up the front of them. Pulling on the clean clothes, I find my traditional black boots without the red trims.

Fully dressed and ready for a search, I go out of my curtained section of the large living tent, joining Joker at the table for a meal and friendly card game of war. "Joker, there's been a development."

He looks at me with full seriousness. "Alice, I presume?"

I nod. "Nightmare told me she never returned to the Tower after a trip into town, and he showed me she has been heavily drugged. He can't even sense her location."

"Now that's bad, as I know she hasn't been to the prison. What do you want though?" he puts down an eight, and I put down a nine, taking the cards into my slowly growing hand.

I put down an ace, and he puts down a two. "I want to search for her, and if necessary, postpone our next performance."

"What?! No way in hell!" the other Joker yells from his mask on this Joker's key ring. "You know the rules! We can't cancel anything!"

"We can't _cancel_ , the rules never said anything about postponing." I point out, silencing the tirade. "Besides, you've done the performances already, and obeyed the rules. And I am only saying we do this if necessary."

This Joker sighs. "She has a point, Joker."

The other one growls like a child. "Damn, when did you study our rules?"

I roll my eyes, winning Joker's last card. "I've known them a long time, now, do I have permission to be out of here as long as the search takes?"

"Yes, but do check in every once in a while. We'll keep an eye on the prison, and bring you there if she shows up."

I grin cheekily at him. "Thanks. And when this search is over, I may try teaching you how to win so you don't always have to say yes."

He throws another card at me, which I catch easily. "Use it to get back here in a hurry when you find her." I frown, looking at the card, finding it to be the Joker.

"You got it." I put it in my pocket and walk out of the tent, taking a moment to enjoy the evening sky before stretching my midnight black wings and taking off.

My first stop is to Hatter Mansion to alert Blood and his people, as they may have some ideas of where to start, as well as connections I could use. It doesn't take long to get there, but when I do I find him having a tea party with the rest of the role holders, saving an empty seat to his right. I land rather roughly behind him.

"So I presume you are here to join this meeting, Becca?" He gestures to the empty seat, which I take gingerly, still unsure of my standing with the mafia. "We are here discussing how to find Alice."

"Funny, I was trying to think of where to start the search." I reach behind me, pulling out an irritating feather sticking out and brushing the nape of my neck, putting it on the white tablecloth. "Knowing you are who you are, I thought you may know some people or good places where she would be hidden."

He sighs, taking a sip of his bitter black tea. "As it happens, I have no idea where she could have been taken that has not already been searched." He taps a small map and indicated the places marked out with X's. "We have searched all the hideouts and abandoned buildings to find nothing."

I look at the map, pulling it slightly towards my seat. "And the sewers? I'm sure there's plenty of nooks and maintenance rooms down there where they would hide her for a long time." I look up to incredulous stares. "What about hidden cellars in occupied homes?"

Elliot groans. "You are telling me we haven't really even made a dent in the search, essentially?"

Julius sighs, drinking what I am sure is coffee, as he once told me he isn't big on tea. "She's right, as much as I hate to point out your errors."

With a frown, I wipe my finger over the marks, wiping off the charcoal marks. Picking up a pencil, I mark the spot in town where I last saw her. "They must have been hiding in the shadows." I shade in spots where they could have hidden. "These places are small, and it doesn't take much to overpower an Outsider, so the group would have had three, maybe four people, two to monitor, two to restrain her and drag her off." I look over to Blood. "Who of the other syndicates would be using this method?"

He puts a hand to his chin in thought. "I do believe there is only one group that has been using that method, but they have been having a rough time lately, as I have been storming most of their hideouts and destroying them."

"Where are their headquarters?" I glance over to the bookshop location, and see the feather on the table is a pure white, not black.

He points to a spot on the same road, just across the street from the shop. "They use an old warehouse here from time to time for meetings, but has been abandoned for a while now."

"Shit, I lead them straight to her." I whisper.

Vivaldi throws a scone at me, which I catch and eat. "We do not understand. How did you lead them to her?"

"We went into this bookshop and left shortly after the time period shifted to night. There was no sign of anything off, so I didn't think anything of people going in there when we arrived." I claw at my hand in frustration. "I should have known better than to think it was something innocent."

Blood makes me pull my nails out of my flesh, before I break the skin. "You didn't know, but now we have a place to begin the search."

I push out my chair, standing up slowly. "I'll go check it out, and hopefully be back soon. If anyone is in there, I'll come back and let you know." Before they can argue, as I can see they all want to, I open my wings and jump up into the sky, flying over to the town.


	4. Chapter 4

Becca POV

The warehouse is swarming with the opposing syndicate, as I learn when I land in the bookshop roof. They seem to be gathering for something or other, and I notice they all wear black suits, which seems oddly familiar, and sets me on edge for some reason I don't understand.

" _Becca, I'll bring you home, I promise!" Mama shouts as the man drags me off. Another person hits her in the head, and she falls to the ground, asleep._

" _MAMA!" I scream, trying to reach for her._

I frown, not sure where that vision came from, but then I realize these people are in the exact same suits from that vision. If that vision is a memory of mine, then it explains how I first came here, and what the others have been telling me how they met me is true.

I begin backing away from the edge, when a gunshot rings out, and punctures my wing. I let out a pained cry as I fall to my knees, trying to cradle the wing. Another rips through my shoulder, and through my side. I scream as they force me to the rough roof, blood pouring out of my injuries.

Men in the same outfit approach me on the roof, and stick something in my neck. "Welcome back, little bird." One of them whispers, and I let my eyes flutter closed, too tired and hurt to stay awake any longer.

" _Becca…" a voice calls for me, distant yet strong. "…isten t…e…" I sit still, putting my hands over my ears, curling into myself. I don't understand what's happening, only that someone is calling for me when I just want to be still and rest. "Yo…ve to wa…p…"_

I groan, opening my eyes, seeing nothing but a giant blur and finding a blinding pain in my head and back. "Hey, shh, don't move Becca, you've been hurt really badly."

I focus my eyes on the blue and white hovering over me, realizing as my vision clears that it's Alice. "How… long?"

"I've been here a few time periods, they just brought you in during the last one." Her eyes are full of tears and sorrow. "Oh Becca, I'm so sorry."

"Why…?" I ask, confused as the pain in my back turns into a burning ache.

"They took your wings." She rolls me onto my side, and I realize that my shirt is bloody and I am heavily bandaged underneath the cloth, bound tightly around my chest and over my shoulder blades. "They said you were the key to ending the Hatters, and used me as bait." Her voice starts shaking, and she clutches at her apron, slightly bloody. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know, or I would never have gone out."

I put a hand on her knee, trying to breathe easily. "I'll be fine, even without my wings. After all, I am an Outsider and a role holder."

No POV

The woman stands in front of the Hatter Mansion gate, left without its guards once again. Shaking her head, she whispers, "What have you done Becca?"

She walks confidently to the garden, finding all of the role holders sitting in heated debate over a tea party, an empty seat next to the Hatter. The Queen of Hearts notices her first. "We have company."

They all turn their attention to the newcomer, who spreads her giant brown and white speckled wings behind her. "Role holders, where is my daughter? She should be here."

The Hatter gestures to the seat. "She was here several time periods ago, but has not returned. We have been trying to come up with a plan to rescue her and the Outsider." The woman frowns, crossing her arms. "Nightmare has been unable to reach either of them, though I am certain they are together."

She raises an eyebrow. "And why do you say that?"

He gestures to two boxes, one small, and the other one large and covered with bloody hand prints. "Take a look at the larger box, and you'll understand."

She stands in front of the empty space, pulling the bloody box towards herself. Opening it, she falls into the seat, gasping for breath as she tries not to scream. "B-black w-wings?" she whispers, horrified.

Blood closes the box, shame evident in his expression. "Becca has been taken by a group I have been attacking lately, and I have a feeling there is more to it than proof that they have her."

The mother stands up unsteadily. "I need to get her home."

Blood's hand comes to land on her shoulder. "It's not that simple. Part of her is locked in the prison, and I need to get her out before the season ends."

"I'm her mother." The woman growls, glaring ice at him. "I made a promise that I would bring her home, and I have one chance to do it."

"You can't fight a Joker that is not yours to fight." The Knight of Hearts murmurs.

The Clockmaker looks up at the woman, understanding in his gaze. "It is the truth. She was not locked away by her own hand, and only the one who put her there can free her now. I understand that you want to keep your promise, but if she chooses to stay, what will you do?"

She shakes her head in sorrow. "She's all I have, Julius. I told her never to go with any like you here, and look at where she is now. I barely believed that she had come here when she was ten, but when she returned home depressed when she was thirteen, I knew she had told me the truth."

"How are you planning on saving her?" Blood asks her after a tense silence.

"I don't know. I'm not as strong as I once was. Maybe her coming here is what has begun my loss of power here." She sighs, and walks away from the group, closing her eyes. "I need to see something for myself."

Along the path, the soft steps on the dirt turn to sharp steps on stone floors, and her eyes open, finding the Joker in the prison, looking her up and down. "Thought you said you were never coming back, Creator."

She shakes her head. "I'm not here to argue Joker, I need to see where Becca is imprisoned, and then get an opinion."

He points to a cell behind him. "She's not doing well on the outside, and is only doing worse in here." He says in a rare moment of caring. "That Hatter needs to hurry up, before the season ends."

"Joker, shut it." she growls, marching over to the bloodiest cell, and looking on with sadness at the dying light in her sleeping daughter, this side of her with her wings still on, but limp and filthy. "How did this blood get everywhere?" she whispers, fury coursing through her veins.

He shakes his head. "Not even I have an answer, but I have a feeling it might have been self-inflicted. I swear, I would never hurt her unless she attacked me, and even then only if I had to."

The mother stands slowly. "Are my things still here?"

"Yeah, same place, undisturbed. But Julia? Don't you dare try anything against the Hatter. Save it for those assholes who dared to attack one of our own."


	5. Chapter 5

Becca POV

I lean against the wall of the room we're stuck in, trying to figure out how to rebalance myself again, now that my heavy wings are no longer there. "Hey, Alice?"

She looks up at me from her seat on the ground, her clothes now clean of blood due to a few more time changes. "What is it, Becca?"

I point up at the ceiling. "What do you think of sneaking out?" At her confused expression, I smile. "Air vents are the next best thing to windows when it comes to sneaking around anywhere."

She looks at the small vent, and grins. "I think you're on to something." She looks around the room, but doesn't see anything. "But if you give me a boost, I'm not strong enough to get you up, and I don't think your back will make the task of boosting me or lifting me will make anything easy on you."

I sigh. "I'm planning on just getting you out, I just need to get you out, since you can lead the role holders here, and you're expendable to these people, now that they have me."

"But, Becca…" she trails off, looking down. "How about I try talking to Nightmare?"

"Tried that, but he can't track us like that." I'm about to try talking her into escaping again, when an explosion blasts the door open, shredding the wall from what I can see. I dive over Alice, protecting her from the rubble that accompanies the destruction. She screams from under me, clutching my shirt.

I get up from her when the danger is past, sitting her upright while I crouch on the balls of my feet, reaching for a piece of rebar stuck to some concrete next to me. While she checks herself for nonexistent injuries, I put a hand over the piece of concrete embedded in my side, finding a slow trickle of blood. I thank the heavens that I chose an entirely black outfit earlier, grateful it will hide the injury and resulting blood loss.

"We can get out this way also." I murmur as we rise, me leading the way as she walks along quietly behind me. I clear the hallway and she follows me down to the corner, where there are two ways to go. We each check one direction, and mine turns out to be a dead end. I guide her to down a short staircase, which only gets us down by one floor, when I spot some of the men who have been holding us, fighting someone outside in a vicious gun fight, several stories down.

Several bullets rip into the wall next to Alice, making her scream as I pull her into another stair well. "Alice, get out of here, and don't stop until you don't see anyone but the role holders, okay?" She nods, tears in her eyes as she gives me a quick hug, before charging off down the stairs. As she goes down, I remain where I am, determined to keep as many as possible from following her. Explosions tear at the building, making the structure unsafe, but the fight goes on as the faceless that shot at us find me.

"Surrender, or die!" they shout pointlessly at me, as I swing my rebar around like a baseball bat, smashing the skull of one man into fragments. They open fire at me as I leap over the railing, landing on the stairs below them. Without hesitating, I charge back up, impaling another man and taking his gun, using it on the next three opponents.

The gun clicks empty on my last opponent, and he tackles me, putting me in a headlock, cutting off my air. I struggle against him, trying to kick but unable to get my leg up high enough to kick his face. As I lose hope, a gunshot gets rid of him. Gasping, I fall into the railing, looking down to find my mom and Blood, aiming their weapons up from the first floor.

"Blood! MAMA!" I shout down to them, tears cascading down my cheeks. I start running down the stairs to get to them, when a wire trips me, sending me face first into the wall. I look back and find the wire attached to a bomb, ticking down to the final second. Without a second thought, I plunge my hand into my pocket.

Julia POV

A bomb goes off right next to Becca, and all I can see are the times when she was a tiny little girl, showing interest in clocks and rabbits more than I wished she would. I recall her first day of school, her first steps, her first smile, and her first words.

The flames rush over her floor, putting her smiling image in my mind aflame. The shockwave hardly affects me as I fall to my knees, crying my heart out. "Becca…" I whimper.

Blood still stands, shocked by what happened, before charging up the stairs. "There's a chance…" he mumbles as he runs up the stairs.

He stops where her body should be, and just stands there, staring at something on the ground. I will myself to stand and walk up beside him. "What is it, Blood?" I ask, voice cracking with emotion and tears.

He kneels, picking up a slightly burnt playing card. Flipping it over, he sighs with what looks like relief. "She must have gotten a card from Joker before the tea party was called." He looks up at me, determined. "I'm going to the prison. This is the best chance to free her forever."

I grab his shoulder as he walks away, ensuring I go with him. We open our eyes to see the Joker staring at something behind us with wide eyes, and I instinctively push Blood to the side, just in time for a lethal swing of an axe to land where he had been standing. We turn around to find a blood-soaked Becca, wingless and breathing heavily, her eyes a chilling black.

"Becca!" Blood shouts, turning his cane into a machine gun once more. Taking aim at my daughter, he hesitates to pull the trigger. "Becca, snap out of it!"

She bares her teeth in a snarl, leaping to attack him again. "Give me one reason not to destroy you!"

I snap out of the shock of her appearance. "This isn't you! You have to wake up!"

She attacks him again, not sparing me even a glance. "You never listened to me!"

He shoots at her feet, making her jump back. "I didn't see you!"

She throws her axe, pulling out a set of daggers. "You never gave me a chance!"

He blocks one knife with the barrel of the gun. "I never understood!"

"You destroyed me!" she screams, tears in her eyes as she plunges the knife towards Blood's exposed back.

"I never forgave myself!" he strains to yell back, holding off both knives. "Listen to me! Stop fighting me!" He kicks her away, barely holding on to the knives, tossing them away behind him. What he doesn't see is that the pure version of Becca is wide awake, straining to sit up and is opening the door slowly. "I was so lost in hatred and loss that I fell to my instincts when I saw you again. Losing you was the one thing I told myself would never happen, and I let it. I was filled with hate and you were the cause, so I lashed out at you. I never meant for this to happen to you!"

The black clothed Becca snarls, pulling out one last dagger. "If you're so sorry, then take your punishment!" She charges at him, ready to plunge the dagger through Blood's throat. I look down, cringing.

A shrill scream pierces the tension, what I make out to be a "NO!" just as the blade swings down, and the sound of flesh being severed fills my ears, and I gasp at the sight in front of me.

Quick note, I know this is evil, but any comments I get will determine how this ends. I will write two endings, one happy and one dark, but if you want both up, just let me know. Thanks.


	6. Chapter 6

Becca POV

I gasp in pain as I fall to the ground, clutching my shoulder in pain as I stare sadly at my fading black clothed doppelganger, her memories filtering in from this trip. Blood immediately lifts me in his arms to a sitting position, putting a hand over mine on the muscle where the knife entered between my shoulder and neck.

"Becca?" he whispers, to which I moan in pain. "Is this really you?"

I rest my head on his bicep, curling into his warmth. "Y-yes." I cough a little, splattering blood on his white coat.

Mama wipes a piece of cloth over my mouth, getting rid of the blood. "Oh, my baby…" a tear falls from her eyes as another wave of agony washes through me, wiping their touch from my thoughts.

 _I wander around the grassy plain, just walking through the tall grasses, following the voice calling my name. "Hello?" I respond, searching for the person._

 _A tap on my shoulder turns me around, and I smile at Nightmare, who looks relieved. "Hello Becca. It's good to see you again."_

" _It's good to be back, Nightmare. I know what happened, and I'm sorry I behaved that way." I look down to the ground in shame. "I should have had better control."_

 _He puts a finger on my chin, raising my eyes to meet his. "None of this was your fault. You were pushed too far, and it broke you. Becca, you have a chance to make things right, and relieve yourself of this burden, or you may leave Wonderland, only to return one more time when we need you most." He takes his hand away, and begins to fade with the grassy plain. "The choice is yours…" his voice echoes._

I open my eyes to find Blood reading a book in a chair next to my bed, where I lay on my stomach under light, yet warm blankets. My back is almost pure pain, and I groan, turning my head into the pillow, moving my arms slowly over my head to block out the light from my poor eyes, stinging from the bright light. All I feel is the blanket and a light shirt in place of the clothes I had been wearing, my legs bare of anything.

"Becca, time to at least be awake enough to take some medicine." He murmurs, standing up and moving things around on the vanity. I peek out from under my arm to see him coming back over before the side of the bed dips from his weight. "Come on, roll over on your side."

I grumble as I obey him, scrunching my face in pain. "Since when were you allowed to play doctor?"

"Since your mother and I had a conversation about this." He holds a cup of something for me while I try to choke down the awful tasting stuff. When I finish it, he takes it away, replacing it with a cup of water. "I'm glad to see you're doing better finally."

I close my eyes and sigh. "What happened? I barely remember passing out in the prison." I gulp down the cool water, washing away the horrid taste of the medicine.

His light amusement vanishes, and is replaced by a blank look. "Your mother wanted to take you away from Wonderland immediately, I had to fight Joker to get you out of the prison after having fought you, and I wouldn't let your mother decide anything until you were well enough to get out of bed. Words were exchanged, and I brought you here to the Tower of Clover so that Grey could take proper care of your wounds."

I cringe slightly. "What about Alice?"

"She's just a little shaken up, and feeling a bit guilty, since she was used as bait." He rubs my arm lightly, as if touching me any harder than that will break me. "Becca… it's my mistakes that landed you in that prison, and trapped you in the circus. I know this is too little too late, but I am sorry, for once in my life."

I let a tear fall to the pillow, and move my pinned arm to hold his hand against my arm. "I understand." I whisper, before a wave of pain hits me again. "What happened though? My back feels like its burning."

He runs a thumb over my cheek, almost sadly. "Your wings were cut off, and fell away from your imprisoned self when you took the knife for me."

I nod slowly, and realize I don't feel my wings pressing on my back anymore. "It's strange. I've had them for so long here, and now they're gone."

"You'll learn to live without wings, just like the rest of us." He then pulls a small vial from his pocket. "This should help with the pain, and allow you to sleep some more."

"But I'm finally aware of everything, I don't wanna go back to sleep. I can handle a little pain." I whine.

He gives me a condescending look. "Take it on your own, or I will force you to take it." I stubbornly shake my head, pursing my lips. "Fine then, you leave me no choice." He tips the medicine into his mouth, emptying the vial, then grabs my head. I swear he smirks as he lowers his lips to mine, and I fall into the kiss, returning the gesture even though he's forcing the bitter liquid into my mouth and forcing me to swallow, lingering longer than he surely needs to, though it's not like I'm pushing him away. Pulling away, he grins just like he used to when we caused trouble with Elliot. "Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

I yawn widely in response, not bothering to dignify it with any answer but a furious blush. Before he can slip off the bed, I grab his hand and curl up around his arm, falling asleep contentedly.

Alice POV

I slip out of Boris's grip in bed, changing clothes quickly and slipping out into the hallway, where I find Elliot standing outside, as though waiting for me. "Alice, do you have a moment?" he asks as I smile at him.

I nod. "Sure, I'm not busy. What do you need?"

He fidgets slightly. "It's about Becca… she's asking to see you."

I raise an eyebrow, slightly apprehensive. "Is that really a good idea? She's still recovering, isn't she?"

"I know she's still recovering, but she needs to talk to someone normal around here, not a role holder or faceless, someone who is from her world that isn't her mother." He looks at me, and I see the true concern in his eyes. "I told her I would ask if you would see her, as she is restricted to her bed for a while yet."

I nod, feeling the guilt gnawing at me. "If I can do anything for her, I will."

He turns and leads me down the hall, taking a turn towards the area reserved for the Hatter party. He stands before a door, but holds me back for a minute. "Alice, I know that you saw first-hand how she was when they first clipped her wings, but it's still pretty bad. Just… don't stare too much, as she looks almost nothing like she did when you met her. This is her true appearance, minus her white wings now."

With that, he knocks lightly on the door. A tired voice calls weakly, "It's open." Elliot opens the door for me, and I almost gasp. The evening light reflects off of coppery tinged hair, and makes it seem as though a halo surrounds her head. "Elliot, thanks for bringing Alice." She smiles, and I notice she lays on her side in the bed, keeping her back turned away from us.

He waves silently as I take a seat in the empty chair next to her. "Hello, Becca."

She hums gently. "Hey, Alice. Surprised by anything?"

I smile a tiny bit. "Your hair is a very vibrant shade of copper."

"Yeah, it's always been like that back home." She runs a finger through her hair, as though seeing it for the first time ever. "Alice, I've heard that you're feeling bad for what happened to me. Is this true?"

I cringe. "Who told you that?" I whisper.

"Nightmare, Boris, Blood, Elliot, everybody, even the faceless." She looks at me, raising an eyebrow. "Tell me why you feel responsible."

"I…" I stumble over how to begin, and fiddle with the hem of my apron. "It's just that, if I hadn't been so weak as to get caught by those men, you wouldn't have been trying to rescue me, and this wouldn't have happened." I glance into her eyes, finding them to be a light brownish hazel, gentle as they encourage me to continue. "They must have been watching me for a long time, and I'm so weak compared to the people here. I always need someone to come rescue me, sooner or later."

"Alice, you have to understand something, right now. They are the people responsible for bringing me here, and the reason why I was dealt the role of the Wild Card. They kidnapped me, and I had no choice but to run from them twice when I first came here. They are the reason I met Blood, and why I was pushed to the circus." She extends a hand in my direction, smoothing the sheet slightly. "They wanted this to happen to me, to try bringing down the Hatter Mafia by giving them a weakness, and shattering it right before their eyes." I put my hand in hers, squeezing slightly. "You were just an extra insult, being favored by the Hatters and the rest of the role holders, even me. I was the one they were always after, and they were bound to do something of that nature to me sooner or later, even if you weren't involved. If anything, I dragged you into this by greeting you and going to the book store with you."

"So… you don't blame me?" I whisper.

She shakes her head. "I could never blame an innocent."

I give her a watery grin. "Thank you, Becca. You have no idea how much better that makes me feel."

She sighs, closing her eyes, and yawns. "I know this is horrible manners on my part, but could you please go? I'm really tired."

I pull up the blanket and smooth out her pillow, tucking her in snugly. "Sleep well, and sweet dreams." She's unconscious by the time I open the door and leave quietly.


	7. Chapter 7

Becca POV

I lay in bed, watching the birds fly past the window, unwilling to leave the warmth of my bed, even though Grey has finally given me permission to get up, and I am back up to par. I snuggle with my second pillow in my arms, watching the tips of the snow covered trees sway in a light breeze, and sigh in content.

The door opens, and I roll onto my back to find Blood standing there, staring at me being lazy for once. "Hey Blood." I greet as I roll back to face the window, curling tighter into the blankets.

"Hello." He returns the greeting, placing his hat on the table as he takes his usual seat in the chair next to me. After a moment of staring at each other, he finally sighs. "It's a nice day out, as you would so aptly put it, to have a snowball fight, yet you're still in here."

"Can't I just be lazy for a while? It's cold outside, and I'm perfectly comfortable the way I am." He raises an eyebrow at me, making me laugh slightly. "Besides, I wanted to wait until night to have a snowball fight, or to maybe pull a prank on someone. Like Boris, or Peter. Who do you think would make the better target?"

"The Cheshire Cat, definitely, he hates water, and winter makes it even worse." He smirks in thought. "So why don't you get out of bed and get the snow all set for it?"

I stick out my tongue at him. "I like being right where I am, thank you very much. I see no reason to be dragged from my warm spot."

Without warning, he rips the blanket from me, making me squeal in surprise. "Now you have a reason."

I push myself to my knees on the bed, hunched over slightly, ready to tackle him, both of us unmindful of my only clothing being the overly large shirt. "Give it back."

"Come and get it yourself." He backs away from me, holding the blanket over his head. I leap off the bed, charging at him. He dodges to the side, tapping my good shoulder as I pass him, growling. "Come on, you can do better than that." He says, back turned to me. I push off the wall, leaping onto his back, wrapping my legs around his waist and an arm around his neck, grabbing the blanket from him. However, this knocked him off balance, and he begins to fall backward. I clench my eyes shut, bracing myself as I fall to the floor, when he turns us around mid-fall, taking the hit on his front to cushion my fall. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah…" I mumble, scrambling off of his back, holding tightly to my blanket. Tossing it onto the bed, I offer a hand to Blood, pulling him up to his feet again. "Sorry I knocked you over."

He smirks, and pulls me to him with my hand, which he hadn't let go of yet. "Now we're gonna have to talk about this later, you know, after the final show." He wraps his arms around my shoulders and waist, ignoring my sudden blush. "By the way, your mother is very angry with me, and is threatening to bring some of your old friends here."

I hold him by his coat, burying my face in the soft fabric. "I don't care what promise she made me eleven years ago, my heart found a new home here. That world is not my home, not anymore." I mumble. Suddenly remembering I'm only in my nightshirt, my fading blush returns full force. "Uh, Blood? Where are a change of clothes that I will fit in?"

He hums, getting a groan out of me. "I think that warrants a trip to the shop in town. I will ask Alice and Vivaldi to find you some outfits that should suffice for now."

The door slams open, and Mama walks in, glaring at Blood. "So this is where you were hiding her, Hatter."

I stand in front of him protectively. "Mama, he was hardly hiding me."

"Then why couldn't anyone point me where you were?" she growls at me, not scaring me in the least, even though that is her intention.

"I had been placed here by Grey, and few were told where I was for safety reasons, regardless of this being a neutral zone." I look at the wings on her back, noticing them for the first time. "Besides, I didn't want the one who refused to explain what I am finding me before I could make my opinions known."

Guilt fills her eyes, and she looks down in shame. "I was trying to protect you. I didn't want you to fall into this world like I almost did when I was your age." She wrings her hands tightly, and she fiddles with a peculiar ring with a clock design on her left hand. "I fell so hard, and was ripped away when the last game ended, that I swore to keep you safe from that pain. It nearly destroyed me when I knew you would be without your father, that I couldn't bear the thought of you learning the truth before you were ready for it."

"It doesn't matter Mama. I've found a new home, so I release you of your promise." I turn around, Blood's arm coming around me protectively.

"Julia, please leave." He asks her, ice in his voice. Her footsteps hurry out of the room, gently shutting the door. "Becca… I apologize for not letting her know, or you know about this, sooner."

I shake my head, going to sit on the bed, pulling the blanket over my legs, feeling self-conscious. "No need, this is something she should have explained the first time around." He sits on the bed behind me, wrapping an arm possessively around my waist. "Blood, you… ugh."

He places his chin on my shoulder. "I'm what?"

"Irritatingly charming, you devil." I smirk at him, poking his forehead.

He pulls me down onto the bed, using me as a teddy bear. "You love it and you know it."

I sigh and snuggle into him. "You know, I have a feeling my mom won't stop trying to make me leave this world."

He squeezes me slightly, grabbing the blanket as he kicks off his shoes. "And I'll be firm in the fact that you are not going anywhere ever again." He pulls my face to his, lowering his lips slowly over mine. My eyes flutter shut as I kiss him back, butterflies in my stomach as my mind focuses on nothing but him, and the warmth in my chest.


	8. Ending 1 until further notice

Becca POV

 _I jump out of bed, feeling more energized than I have felt in a long time, and dig through the bags of clothes Alice and Vivaldi brought back for me. The first thing I find is a pretty blue sundress with a zipper in the front, with a matching blue leather jacket, which stops at the bottom of my ribcage. The shoes I find that go with it are basic black boots, with small clocks branded on the heels._

 _I pull on the outfit, and step out, adjusting the jacket, only to find my mom waiting for me in the hallway, leaned against the wall opposite my door. "What do you want?"_

 _She sighs, and gives me a stern look, and I brace myself for whatever she has to say. "I know you are falling for the Hatter, but he is no good. This will only bring you more pain, the longer you stay in this world with him."_

" _Mama, I'm happier here than I was back in our world, and you know it." I turn to walk down the hall. "You said you would always support me in my decisions, so why won't you for this one?"_

" _Because this isn't where you belong. And whether you like it or not, you are coming back with me." She makes to grab my arm, but I pull away from her, whirling around to stare at her. "I don't want to know that you will eventually suffer the same way I did."_

 _I shake my head sadly at her. "You've no idea what I've gone through in this world, and yet I choose to remain. Just accept it."_

" _The problem with that, is that she brought us here as well." A male voice echoes behind me. I turn around to find my ex-boyfriend behind me. He pulls me into his arms, holding me tightly, as though never to let me go. "Becca, please, just come home."_

" _No!" I struggle in his grasp, but as I almost break out of his grip, white light fills the space, a breeze gently rustles my hair and dress. "No! Let me go! I don't want to leave Wonderland! I can't do this again!"_

 _Mama's voice echoes in my head gently, and she puts her hand on my cheek. "I'm sorry, but this is the way it must be."_

Suddenly, I bolt upright in my bed, pushing away the heavy brown and blue comforter, breathing heavily as tears fall from my eyes. That memory, from over three months ago, still haunts me. They took me away from Blood, and never let me say goodbye again. After that happened, I locked myself in my room for days, and was eventually dragged to the hospital mental ward kicking and screaming. I never wanted to leave Blood again, and Mama saw what it did to me the first time. I never would have thought she would willingly put me through that again, but now it's only worse.

Wiping away my tears, I pick up my phone from my bedside table, finding it to be Halloween. I smile sadly as I think of Hatter Mansion in full Halloween festivities, always over the top and thrilling for the twins. I look at my simple costume, a girl's version of the Mad Hatter, but splattered with fake blood. With a sigh, I get out of bed, throwing off my pajamas and roughly pulling on the costume, not bothering with adding makeup like I haven't since I returned to school.

I skip breakfast and my pills today, deciding that I need to rely on myself rather than drugs to get better. I hop into the car, and drive slowly to school, earning more than a few honks from drivers behind me getting angry with my slow pace, all of which I ignore, even as they pass me and flip me off. I ignore everything people say to me when I get to school, which isn't much past greeting me and commenting on my outfit, but not even a word about my mood.

The teachers, understanding my situation, talk to me after class, and offer me extra work to take my mind off of things, which I happily accept, finally cracking a tiny smile at each offer. At lunch, I sit alone in the library, staring at the one picture in my sketchbook of Blood, a smirk on his face and hat tilted forward with his fingers. After my final class of the day, I drive out to the highway, not wanting to go home for another few hours, and just lose myself in thought.

I eventually come back to my senses as I pull into a National Park, at the Potomac River. Knowing my outfit is odd for taking a hike, I pull out a trench coat, wrapping it around myself as I step out of the car. Locking my vehicle, I walk into the woods, making for the river, where the rushing waters call to me. I eventually find the cliff, nobody else there, and take a seat in the dirt, not caring if it dirties my clothes.

The sunset glows the way it rarely does in Wonderland, even during the evening period, even late evening, lighting up the sky close to the sun, yet dark just on the other end of the clouds. The stars begin peeking out of the darkness and clouds, and the moon slowly rises, as my phone begins ringing, no doubt Mama getting worried about where I am.

Looking at the caller ID, I find it is her calling. Opening the phone, I whisper, "I'm fine, I'll be home in a few hours."

A deep chuckle makes my eyes widen. "Don't worry about your mother, she'll never take you from me again."

"B-Blood?" I whisper even more quietly, on the verge of tears, covering my mouth with my other hand.

"Yes. I'll be waiting for you at your house, Becca." With that, he hangs up the phone.

A new happiness filling me with warmth and butterflies, I run back to my car, being careful not to fall over the cliff. I finally make it to the car, one of the last ones in the lot, and rush out of there, tears of happiness dripping down into my lap. The long hours it took to get to the park turn into a short drive home, as I speed up the driveway, finding the front door slightly ajar, and all the lights on.

Turning off the car, I throw the jacket into the back seat before I run inside, finding Blood sitting on the couch, Mama fuming in front of him, and the twins watching the spectacle. "Blood!" I run into his arms as he stands up, knocking him back down to the seat he just got out of.

"Becca, you stay the hell away from him!" Mama shouts, before grabbing me by the arm and dragging me behind her. "Hatter, leave her be! You've already done enough to add to her suffering!"

"No, Mama! It's your fault I've been like this! If you had let me do as I wanted, none of this would be happening!" I jerk out of her grip as she stares at me, fury filling her eyes. "I was HAPPY!"

"You were being deceived!" She points an accusatory finger at Blood. "You know he is the reason you were locked away in the prison! He is the reason you haven't been happy in years!"

"It wasn't his fault! I would have done the same, and I did blame him for a time, but I know that he was not responsible!"

She falls into a stunned silence, not responding to what she knows it the truth, no matter how badly she tries to deny it. I sit next to Blood, who stares at my costume with a rare concern. "Is that your blood?"

I shake my head. "It's fake, just for the costume." I wrap my arm around his. "I want to go back."

He wraps an arm around my shoulders, standing up slowly. "Then we shall go back." He jerks his head towards the door, but I pause. "What is it?"

I look over to the stairs. "I want to get a couple of things before we go." I run up the stairs, and reach under my bed, pulling out my notebooks and art set. I gently place both into a spare backpack, then pull off my costume, pulling on my favorite blue jeans and white tank top with wing patterns on the front. I then walk slowly down the stairs, taking Blood's hand. "I'm ready to go."

He leads me past Mama, who has tears in her eyes. "Becca… before you go, there is one thing you need to know."

"What?"

"Your father… was the previous clockmaker, in the last game. When I returned to tell him about you, that game had ended." She looks to the ground. "Never leave, if you want to avoid this pain. Blood, you treat her right this time around, you hear?"

"Of course." We turn around and walk into the night, and eventually fall down the rabbit hole to Wonderland for the final time, and I never look back.

The end. If you want an alternate ending that is sad and might make you want to cry even worse, let me know, and I will not disappoint. I might be making my whole English class depressed this year, based on only two assignments I have presented so far, as my friends have agreed.

I do not own Alice in the Country of Joker, Hearts, or Clover. This was lightly using the manga versions, and was planned as being OOC for most characters.


End file.
